Smoky Mountains Tennessee - We might never leave.

We spent Sunday with Mike & Pat, my colleague from IBM.  We drove about 30 miles down the road to worship with Mike and his wife at an awesome little church of about thirty or so people.  They were just beginning the study of Revelation.  A bold challenge that many of the biggest of church will not tackle. I was impressed with the completeness of the lay-pastor's message and the genuineness of the people.  We enjoyed a delicious potluck after the service then returned to his house for a bit of "picking" afterwards.  Mike is quite a musician and quite a gardener too, I find out (he is in the red shirt).  It was just a glorious Lord's day.  

One aspect of living in an RV and the open road life style is everyone coming and going are in the same boat.  All of us do not know each other but we all have many things in common.  It may be our trailer, truck, animals, or just our common love for the outdoors.  You would not believe just how friendly and out going everyone is. Heather and I had a one and a half hour conversation with a couple at the dumpster last night.  We talked about darn near everything.  We have never met this couple in our lives but we struck up quite a relationship in just a matter of moments.  It was grand!  This happens several times a week.  It is just one part of the life style we enjoy.  

Living in the woods, the beach, and all these different places has brought out the puppy in our 14 year old Westie Brodie too.  You would not know he is old and deaf by the way he digs up the beach and swims the streams.  Oh, by the way this video ends abruptly because he gets swept away momentarily by the "rapids."  He is not quite as adept on his feet as used to be, especially since he had been wading and drinking the river for about two hours prior to this video being recorded.  He was "just plumb tuckered" as they say in these parts...

 

For those of you that ride you really must to come to Tennessee.  There is not straight road anywhere in the state that I can see.  It is totally a rider's paradise.  Several of the roads we have traveled are tunneled in trees.  They meander through the mountains over hill and valley with a beautiful view and each corner.  I so enjoy God's creation.  I wish you all could be here to enjoy it with us.  One more thing to add, we both often remark we have never seen this many bikes in one place.  Mostly Harley's by the way and just a few sport bikes.  Which reminds me of what happened to me the day before yesterday.

I went to the auto parts store to get some auto wax.  No big deal but helps keep bugs off front of RV.  I am in my full gear with my helmet off.  Obviously, I am a motorcycle rider.  The girl behind the counter tries to help me find what I am looking for...they are out of the product I wanted.  I continue to look around.  She leaves and goes out for a smoke.  I check out and go out to get on and leave.  She and a girl friend are out going over my bike with a fine tooth comb.  "Is that a 007 motorcycle or something?  It looks like something James Bond would ride", she inquires.   I guess they don't see too many BMW Adventures around here.  I was about to burst inside, however, I calmly replied,  "No it is a standard BMW."  She asked, "Are these laser beams or something?"  I am starting to think she might have been abducted by aliens, I heard that happens around here a lot.  There's nothing in her body language telling me she is not totally serious.  The "laser beams" she referred to were my running lights.  Oh it's great to be in a foreign country the South...

I received a call from Ken, one of my buddies in the BMW club today.  I was such a blessing and joy to catch up with him a bit.  He has been all over this area and had some great tips for here and our further journey up Pennsylvania way. I hope the rest you feel free to call us when you want too.  We would love to hear from you also.

I am sure I will have another update later in the week after we ride "The Tail" so stay tuned...

Love you all Steve and Heather

This is "God's Country" the Great Smoky Mountains Tennessee

We made it to Tennessee and boy are we glad! Mike Long, one of my team mates lives near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.  Had Mike and Pat not lived in this part of the United States we might not have come this way so soon in our adventure.  It is an amazing, truly inspiring place.

Heather has once again searched the web for the best place to stay while we were in route.  She out did herself on this one. What would I do with out her?  This is what she found for us.  A small very new park just a few miles outside of Sevierville, TN.

Sevierville TN was put on the map by Dolly Parton.  It is near the home of Dollyworld, the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park via Gatlinburg, and has a mess of traffic. We are a few miles away from the main tourist area in a little town called Pigeon Forge, TN.

Pigeon Forge Tennessee is a small community of I would guess just a few thousand people.  Mountains of trees and bright green grass meadows as far as you can see. The picture above is the property where we are staying.

  

 The RV park is called "Up the Creek RV Camp."  This place sits in the middle of two creeks.  It is manicured to perfection as you can see.  There are old farm implements and buildings scattered throughout the property to give real character.  It is a great place for us to stay.  When we first arrived we had only planned to stay three or four days.  On the second day we extended to stay through the Fourth of July. 

The firefly's sparkle in the trees during the night sky offsetting the daytime beauty of blue skies and puffy clouds.  The pictures, even as nice as they are do not do it justice. It is even more beautiful then they are showing.  The next best thing about this area is the weather here is cool.

We took a 100 mile motorcycle ride into Knoxville Tennessee yesterday.  Nice to stretch out and enjoy the great ride.  The weather was broken clouds and 80 plus degrees.  It was beautiful day in Tennessee.  Only problem was Knoxville as rush hour.  However, their rush hour was nothing compared to Phoenix.  We were there to pick up a small part for my motorcycle.  We had a very late lunch headed home.  It was a fine ride of moderate distance.

 

With the cool weather we have been able to keep everything open and enjoy the outside.  When we were on the beach, at Ho-Hum, it was great mornings and evenings but got pretty warm in the midday. The Great Smoky's are cool most of the day.  I have had my "office door" down all day just enjoying the view.  It has a pull down screen that covers the entire opening so nothing flies in, by the way.  Yes, I know, does not look like I am working but that is my working position and attire. Really!
While we are looking at my office here is a bit more.  This is a view from my office (aka the garage) through the family room towards Heather upstairs in the kitchen.

 

I am sure you will be sick of hearing about Tennessee but we are "wow'ed" by this state. 

Remember to call or email when you get the urge.

Love you all...Steve and Heather. 

Atlanta Georgia...

We left the beach...it was a sad day.  We did not leave until almost four to continue our journey north. We did not arrive in Atlanta Georgia until almost midnight. For a city of that size there are literally only about two or three RV parks.

Out of the three RV Parks in the immediate Atlanta vicinity, one is for military personnel only, one received terrible reviews so that leaves one.  We decided to head over because by the time we found them there was no one to answer the phones.  God is good, one site left otherwise it was Walmart's parking lot.

We pulled in and got settled around midnight.   They had a board showing open sites. You pulled a tag taking the sites available.  We backed our behemoth into its spot and went to bed. The reason for the stop in Atlanta was to meet up with two gentlemen that I team lead for with IBM.

I am the team lead for six. Out of the six, I have met three face to face.  I am taking our road trip opportunity to stop and meet these my boss and others I work with that I have never met.  Walter and Kevin, on my team live in or near Atlanta.  We had a great time a lunch on Thursday June 23 swapping stories and such and finally getting to see each other for the first time face to face. We spent one day/night in Atlanta then on to see another member of my team in Tennessee. 

Tennessee will also include the Tail of the Dragon.  It is supposed to be the best bike ride in the country.  Can you say 318 turns in 11 miles all with scenery to knock your helmet off.   I can't wait.  Mike, one of my guys, lives about 12 miles from the start of "The Tail."  Also the Tail will take us into South Carolina which will mark off another state on our goal of covering all fifty.  The Tail is the top ride but it is shadowing about 25 others almost just like it nearby through the Smoky Mountain National Park and Tennessee.

We will have more later when we get there I am sure
Love Steve and Heather

Ho-Hum...Florida right on the beach.

It is time for an update again. We have spent the last week roughing it on the beach in Florida. It has been really tough for Heather, me, and the dog here at Ho-Hum RV in Carebelle, Florida, USA.

We have to get up in the morning to the sunshine, waves rolling on the white sandy beach and the gentle breeze coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. The evenings bring cooler temperatures with a nice steady breeze.  It is hotter mid day, mostly in the mid 90's with humidity unlike we are use to in Arizona.  The roughing it part included the air conditioning being on too. No in all seriousness, we are coming back to Carrabelle and Ho Hum for a much longer stay in 2012.

The park is just outside of a small town called Carrabelle Florida. The locals call the area the "Forgotten Coast." Already after a few days, we know why.  There is no one here and it is pretty much undeveloped and definitely not full of shops selling gadgets, no tourist, and no annoying sales people walking up and down the beach selling a trinket or sunglasses.  There is little traffic, very few people, oh and no stop lights for as far as you can drive!  We have changed our hurried pace as busy bees to just laying back relaxing, talking to our Ho Hum camp buddies, watching Brodie dig in the sand. One can still buy beach front property for a reasonable price. Did we mention it is beautiful too.

Heather and Brodie are walking the beach for miles and miles. Brodie takes every opportunity to dig the beach until exhausted or until Heather pulls him out of the hole. I guess that is what Westies do.

Brodie is also fascinated by the abundance of Horseshoe Crab that seem to be mating at the waterline. They are out there by the hundreds. To bad they are not good eating.

We have taken a few motorcycle rides in the area. AWESOME rides I might add. The way the roads lead you through tunnels of trees then open up where you seem to be riding on the beach. These continue for miles and miles. It is cooled by the breeze blowing off the sea and often there is a small fishing village or town to come across that brings some interest into the mix. This area really feels different, almost like a foreign country, because it is so low key and laid back. We rode to an island called St. George yesterday. Very interesting to be on a bridge where all you see is a small line on the GPS and everything else is blue, meaning water. The bridge to the island was several miles across the bay. We were dodging Pelicans all the way across.

We are living well in our new "Portable Condo."  We are both adapting very well, and really loving this life style. Heather has discovered the Convection/Microwave is really cool. She loves the stove and the washing machine. She has said, "I don't know if I can go back to a separate washer and dryer again." You see, our washer and dryer is a combo. You put in a load and it comes out dry. It is all one step and your done. It's not a huge machine but it works great! You should taste some of the items she has already made in the oven. It will cook anything plus more because of the convection (normal heat) and microwave at the same time.

Heather has us all organized too. This is very necessary in a small space. We have a place for everything and everything in its place. I really feel good.

Our rig is set up with a special garage for the motorcycles that when they are removed we can roll out the carpet, open the divider wall.  The garage becomes part of the living space. We have made an office. I have added Rubbermaid Fasttrack drop down hooks on the wall of the garage so I can easily hang my dual monitors for my computer system when we stop. I can set up my system in about twenty minutes and be working just like at the house in Phoenix. Except, the view...the view out the window is the best I have had in my career.  Relaxing and energizing at the same time.  Everything is secure and very comfortable. If it is cool enough I can drop the wall (aka loading ramp) and have a full screened picture window out to the world. Different view every time we stop.  I simply can't not tell you just how much of a difference this has been for me looking out and seeing beauty instead of an A/C unit and fence less than three feet from my office window at home.  It just doesn't compare, my view is worth moving from over 2000 square feet to about 400 square feet in living space.

That is enough for today. We miss you all but we are just an email or a telephone call away.  Please do reach out, you may find we are able to sit and talk to you much easier than our old hustle and bustle lifestyle.

Steve & Heather

Dothan Alabama...HOT HOT HOT

We came to Dothan to complete the process of the trust for Ody Ramey my father in law. Little did we know we would have such a nice experience meeting Ody Ramey III and his wife, their children and several other spouses, friends. They all showed up to help move what furniture was left out of Ody's condo. They were thrilled to have it to say the least.

Ody with most every piece would give us the story of "my dad and I did this or that..." or "Dad bought this here..." It took a bit longer than expected because of all the stories but it was all good! The condo complete so we are moving on.

Yesterday we went out for a bite to eat, We thought about taking the motorcycles but we were just to lazy to ATGATT. For you non-bikers, that is All the gear all the time. We just did not want to suit up. It was humid, hot and sunny so we jumped in the truck and headed to Longhorn Steakhouse.

We were at the restaurant no more than thirty minutes when the waitress asks "you guys hear if there was a storm coming? KABOOM!" Thunder rolls across the city. You should have seen it! It rains during our monsoons in Phoenix once in a while but I have never seen people stopping on the highways because they can not see. It was a "white out" because so much rain. For about an hour it poured. Then as fast as it came the skies were clear again. The ground sucked it up and we were outside emptying our chairs, tank bags, shoes and anything else we left out. It was amazing. Everything survived with no permanent damage just a bit damp.

Tomorrow we leave towards HoHum. That is HoHum RV in Carrabelle, Fl. We have been to Toad Suck now on to HoHum. Oh yeah it's right on the beach. Having a portable condo really has its advantages...

Back to Conway...One more time

We spent a few more days in Conway Arkansas after reluctantly leaving Toad Suck to make the final fixes and updates to the rig. The guys and National Travelers RV have been fabulous. They have been working hard to fix every little and big thing to make everything perfect.

We are now off to Dothan Alabama to finish the estate of Ody, my father-in-law. We have found a nice park (Pecan Point). Oh, by the way it is the only one RV park in Dothan so choices were very limited. We have all the power, water, cable TV, and WIFI we need so I think it will work. Oh yeah, Walmart is about 500' away. As an RV'er you are never too far from Walmart.

Heather drove the big'ol truck and trailer for the first time today as I attempted to work from the passenger seat. She did awesome! Maybe we will team truck in our later years NOT! Actually she drove for several hundred miles of pretty difficult mainly because the "highways" down here take you right through town. Stop lights and major traffic everywhere. It is not easy when you are dragging 40' of trailer weighing about 18,000 lbs, especially the first time. She did not bat an eye. It was like she had done it all her life. NO FEAR, what else would you expect from Heather?

On the way down we passed through two more tornado ravaged towns. We could see a swatch where the tornado had come and just annihilated the trees, houses, power poles, anything up right across the road. There were loads of tractors and such cleaning up the debris even from 3 or 4 weeks ago. It was sad to say the least. Even though not on the News remember, there are still folks hurting and in need of prayer and support today too.

So you see the map above. We have only been on the road for about 2 weeks and have already visited these states. Not bad so far. We really have no reason to go to Louisiana but we are too close to not at least take a quick motorcycle ride over so we can at least color that one in on the next update, don't you think? More later with pictures too...Love you all Steve & Heather